LEVY WON'T STICK AROUND: Publicis Groupe SA Chairman and Chief Executive Maurice Levy won't extend his CEO mandate beyond its expiry at the end of next year, he said in an interview with the WSJ from Cannes. Last month's collapse of Publicis' proposed merger with Omnicom Group had thrown open succession planning at Publicis. That deal had provided a solution to the succession issue. Mr. Levy, 72, said in the interview he was "ready to lend my support in any possible form that will facilitate the transition."

CREATIVITY TAKES THE BACK SEAT TO TECH AT CANNES: It may be dubbed the “festival of creativity,” but this year’s marketing conclave in France is much more about tech, reports WSJ. Companies like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Microsoft are out in full force at Cannes, reminding those in the business that digital technologies, not just witty slogans, now drive much of the industry. "Cannes was the playground for creatives," said Wenda Harris Millard, president of media and ad consultancy Medialink. Now:“It’s Madison Avenue to Silicon Valley and Hollywood to Wall Street,” she said.

BUSINESS ON THE BEACH: Cannes is in its final days, and let’s face it, it’s way better to meet with clients in a plush beach cabana than in a stuffy Manhattan conference room. Nobody knows that better than Havas Chief Executive Yannick Bollore, reports WSJ’s CMO Today. “It’s definitely a more chilled out way to do business,” he said. But times aren’t so breezy for everyone. Unilever CMO Keith Weed, speaking to festival goers Thursday morning, said marketing has changed more in the past five years than it did in the 25 years prior, reports CMO Today. More than that: “It’s only going to get worse,” he said. Mr. Weed’s point was that the 30-second TV ad no longer can be relied upon to convey a brand’s message. As the media ecosystem fragments, marketers have to adapt. “Its chaos,” said Mr. Weed.

CABLE PINES FOR ANOTHER BIG BANG: The woes of the broadcast networks are trickling into the cable TV world, reports WSJ. The struggles of NBC, Fox, CBS and ABC in generating breakout hits is creating headaches for cable networks that rely on reruns for broadcast shows to attract audiences. The supply-demand crunch is driving up the prices for shows that aren’t big hits, and forcing cable networks like TBS to place big bets on shows several years before they get the rights to air their reruns. Everyone in the cable world is waiting for the next “Big Bang Theory,” the last comedy to become a breakout hit. In the meantime, they’re investing in more originals, licensing more movies and continuing to place those bets.

NETFLIX TAPS CHELSEA HANDLER FOR NEW SHOW: Netflix is planning to create a new late-night talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler,reports WSJ. Ms. Handler’s show, which will debut in 2016, marks the online video service’s first foray into the late-night TV format. Netflix is of course no stranger to treading on TV’s turf. Like the high-profile “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black,” episodes of Ms. Handler’s show will be available at any time. But while Netflix released episodes of its other originals all at once, which suited binge viewing, that isn’t likely to be the same for the talk show, which will deal with topical information. One added benefit for Netflix is that the late-night format is considerably cheaper to produce than their scripted series. The addition of Ms. Handler, who will end her run on the E! Network in August, comes at a time when executives at other networks have tried to retool late-night for a younger audience. Think Colbert, Fallon, and Kimmel instead of Leno and Letterman. Perhaps Ms. Handler -- and Netflix -- will be able to give broadcasters an unexpected late-night rival.

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER: Cereal companies are trying to market their product based on a behavior they have largely ignored in the past -- “off-breakfast eating.” WSJ reports on the new trend of cereal sellers endeavoring to capitalize on the roughly 20% of cereal consumption that happens outside of breakfast hours. Don’t believe it? Check out the starry night sky emblazoned boxes for Kellogg’s Special K Chocolate Almond and Frosted Mini-Wheats basically goading you into a late night snack. General Mills’ cereal chief Jim Murphy says the company tries to make sure customers don’t feel bad for grabbing cereal as a snack. “There is an opportunity for us to alleviate some of the guilt” by giving permission via marketing, he says. Meanwhile, Cheerios considered reviving an early 1980s ad that shows mom cooking Cheerios in a skillet with butter and salt, like popcorn.

ELSEWHERE: Capital One has edged out American Express in terms of national TV advertising so far this year ,reports WSJ’s CMO Today… Jimmy Fallon’s move into Rockefeller Center (and success in the ratings) has pushed movie promoters to schedule premieres in New York over Los Angeles, reports The Hollywood Reporter… Twitter is buying SnappyTV, a service that allows brands to live-clip their content, the company announced… Ad buyers aren’t keen on CNN’s new programming push, reports Variety… And finally, in order to not forget those left behind from Cannes (including this reporter), ad agency Woods Witt Dealy & Sons threw a big party called “Wrath of Cannes” in New York, reports CMO Today.
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